Island hairstylist launches campaign to provide free wigs to cancer patients

After losing her mother to cancer seven years ago, one Island woman has started an initiative to provide free wigs to people living with cancer and other medical conditions.

Carla Wilson-MacKinnon, who owns the Dreams Come True Hair Salon in Charlottetown, P.E.I., started collecting wigs after her mother died. In October, she started a social media campaign to collect and donate free wigs to people who might need one but can't afford it.

She posted a video on her salon's Facebook page asking for wig donations and within hours she received dozens of responses from people who wanted to help.

"People started messaging me and telling me what a good thing I was doing and that I needed to keep doing it," she said. "In honour of my mother, I kept continuing to receive the wigs."

Wilson-MacKinnon said she has given wigs to eight clients and has collected 22 wigs since posting her first Facebook video. 

'It's all free'

She said one of the barriers she's trying to eradicate is the high cost of a new wig.

According to Wilson-MacKinnon, new wigs can range anywhere from $500 to $900 and many people who come to her salon say their medical insurance doesn't cover these costs.

"It's a big chunk of money for somebody who's dealing with medical bills and stuff like that," she said. 

Claire Nantes, who lives in Charlottetown, has lost her hair to cancer for a second time this year. She said that although she isn't a client of Wilson-MacKinnon's and isn't in the position to need this kind of assistance, she understands how important it is. 

"Losing your hair is a traumatic experience," Nantes said. "It's a very visible sign that something is wrong and many people, especially women, don't want attention drawn to themselves by sudden baldness."

Nantes said the wig restores an important sense of normality, but even synthetic wigs can cost hundreds of dollars.

"For many people that's just out of reach, especially for something that will only be needed temporarily," she said, adding that it's "very kind" of Wilson-MacKinnon to provide this service on P.E.I.

Nantes said she has previously worked for the Canadian Cancer Society of P.E.I., which also provides free wigs to people who lose their hair as a result of cancer treatments. 

'I won't stop'

Wilson-MacKinnon said she makes a new Facebook live video every week to connect with people who are in search of a wig as well as with anyone who is willing to donate one to the initiative.

"I wasn't expecting to get the awareness and attention that the videos drew," Wilson-MacKinnon said.  Her videos have reached people in Ontario and Saskatchewan, she added, who have contacted her and are shipping wigs to donate to the cause.

Wilson-MacKinnon said she accepts both new and used wigs, which she washes and styles for each individual who comes to her salon for a fitting. If anyone is interested in donating or would like to come to the salon to get a wig, they can visit the Dreams Come True Hair Salon Facebook page to schedule an appointment, she added.

"I'm going to make this service as big as I can and I won't stop," Wilson-MacKinnon said. "This is something that's near and dear to my heart and it represents my mom and it helps me in my own healing process.

"If I can send them out of the door with a smile and some hair, it does mean a lot."  

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